Betting on love
by Killer Ladybug
Summary: Lauren bet Neal that she can get him over Kate in one week. But as Neal falls out of love Luaren falls in. Flames are not welcome and as always don't like don't read. Cruz/ Caffrey pairing.


(I own nothing!)

I sat there at my desk slowly picking at the desk finish, every so often pulling the goo out from under my nails. The real subject of my attention was sitting in my boss's clear glass office, spinning in an office chair. He was leaning back throwing a rubber band ball in the air and catching it in his very talented hands, listening to Mr. Burke tell him about the latest case. I smiled as he threw the ball in the air and that smirk of his slid into place as he thought about the information he was processing and then a different smirk appeared on his face. Now it takes a trained eye to see and recognize Caffrey's different smirks, this one in particular was the one he wears when he has a plan, a dangerous, stupid and nearly fatal plan that will put someone's life at risk, but a plan none-the-less.

He threw the ball against the door, it being the only wall-like object he could without possibly breaking something. I remember the day that I made him that ball. Mr. Burke had been holding a meeting about a kidnapping that had been forced on us by special request and Mr. Burke had snapped and grabbed the ball out of Neal's hands (he of course had been playing with it) and threw it out the open window and nearly caused a car wreck. Neal had proceeded to whine about his lost toy. For the entire day. I was the only one who had taken pity on him, and everyone's ears, and, stealing every rubber band I could find in the office, made him his own ball. I had set it in his desk the next morning before anyone got in and sat at my desk waiting for him to come in. And finally he did. I sat at my desk acting like I was working. He of course had come in with Mr. Burke, as usual their banter filled the office with sarcasm and snappy comebacks, but it abruptly stopped when Neal reached what was generally considered his desk.

"Neal? Something wrong?" Mr. Burke sounded worried since Neal was not one to leave a conversation without the last word.

"It's a ball."

"Congratulations, that's a ball, you pass pre-K, now can we please get back on the subject of the missing child?" Mr. Burke was walking toward his office and talking to Neal, or where Neal should have been had he not been... Why in the world was he sniffing the ball? He turned to look around and I whipped back around to look at my computer screen. I cut my eyes in his direction, only he wasn't there. Where did…?

Then I felt a presence behind me and…

"Caffrey, why the hell are you sniffing my hair?" I shivered as I felt his breath on the back of my neck. Then it hit me. Neal's nose was almost as good as his hands; he could probably smell my cologne on the ball and on me. (And yes, some women wear cologne.) Oh shit!

"NEAL!" Mr. Burke had apparently realized that the thin air he was talking to had nothing helpful to say about the case and so would appreciate it if Neal would 'hurry the hell up and stop bothering hard working agents!'

I thought that was the end of it. Unfortunately Neal just had to show off his new toy to Mr. Burke. Mr. Burke turned and gave me the' we will be talking later' look. It was late by the time that everyone else had left. Neal was waiting in the car while Mr. Burke and I stood in the parking lot.

"He's a convict on loan to the FBI, don't forget that."

"How could I forget with the sign strapped to his ankle?"

"I don't want you hurt."

"What?"

"He only has room in his heart for Kate."

"Peter." He froze. I never call him by his first name if I can avoid it. "You think I'm going to fall for Caffrey?" His stony face was my answer.

"I won't fall for him, he just thinks better with something to play with." There was a loud honk from the car.

"Oh, really?"

"I know who did it!" We jumped at the sound of Neal's voice and we turned to look at him. He stood by the car with his arms in the air, his hair wind-tossed, and clenched in his right hand was my ball. I turned and stuck my tongue out at Peter.

I came back to the present as a pair of the brightest blue eyes stared into mine. I did a double take as I realized that Neal had bent the seat back so far that it was practically horizontal and he could see out in to the rest of the office. I shivered as I realized that his smirk was now aimed at me. Uh, oh.

Uh, oh was apparently the best way to describe the situation I was now in. I was sitting in an FBI van with Neal doing nothing but watching monitors all freaking night, well it was only six o'clock but if Peter didn't hurry up I was going to lose my mind. There wasn't even supposed to be something to do, Peter just wanted me to keep Neal out of the way of the bust and bullets. I will find some way to get even. I watch as Neal picks up my ball and happily plays with it.

"Something wrong?"

"Hm?"

"You've been staring at me for the last three minutes. What's wrong?" Oh shit, I had been staring and now had to think of a reason as to why, besides the truth, of course.

"Why do you love her?"

"Excuse me?"

"Kate. Why do you love her?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He looked at me, obviously having not expected the question.

"Because she left you and has made it very clear she doesn't want you." I saw his eyes flash with hurt and my heart tightened painfully in penitence for being mean to him.

"She loves me and she just fell in with the wrong crowd. As soon as this is over she'll come back." I winced, not because his eyes held love in them for her, the same love I wanted him to show when he looked at me, but the fact that he was just like me. No! Bad Lauren no thoughts like that! Do not fall for Caffrey!

"Yep, just as I thought."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Lauren." His voice had a little less playfulness in it.

"Well, it's just that you're hung up on her and can't get on with your life."

"I am not hung up on her! I'm in love with her!"

"No, you're rebounding, only you're clinging to the wall for dear life since you're scared that if you let go you won't like what you find."

"I am not!"

"Alright then? How about a bet? In one week you and I are going to work Kate out of your system and if at the end of the week you still are madly in love with her, I'll leave you alone."

"You're going to be my rebound girl?"

"I guess that is the best way to put it."

"And what do you get if you win?"

"I get to prove the great Neal Caffrey wrong, that's enough for me." I held out my hand. "Have we got a deal?" He shook it, a smirk on his face. It was the one where he knew he was going to win.

"Deal." What the hell was I doing? I was only trying to make conversation and now I have a bet with a con man.

Suddenly the door to the van jerked open and Peter stuck his head in.

"Bust is done. Let's go."

"Wait, I thought that there were supposed to be some guys coming out of the building and we were supposed to get the numbers on their license plates." I smiled, payback time.

"Neal, there was never any men. Peter just said that to keep you out from under foot." I saw Neal's eyes turn cold as he looked a Peter.

"Lauren you weren't supposed to tell him!" Peter said glaring at me as Neal turned to glare at Peter.

"Oh, really?" His voice was icy and my revenge was frozen solid. Peter gave me a hurt look for ratting him out.

"Oh Peter?" He turned back to look at me from where Neal was chewing him out.

"June's having new flooring put down since a pipe burst and ruined them so Caffrey will be staying with me." I saw that Peter wanted to argue but I pulled Neal away from him and we walked to my car.

"I'm staying at your apartment?"

I smiled an evil little smile. "Oh didn't I tell you? If I'm going to flush Kate out of your system, I'm going to need to be able to watch you 24/7." Neal's face went slightly pale at the news and I laughed sliding into the driver's seat and taking Neal to his home for the next week. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Opening the front door, I pushed my way inside. It wasn't very big, only two bed rooms, a bathroom, a small living room and a kitchen.

"Your room is through there." I motioned to the room across from mine.

"Not what I thought it would look like." I heard Neal mutter.

"What's not what you thought?" I asked grabbing my grocery list off the fridge.

"Your apartment." I heard him call from his room.

"You spend your time imagining what my apartment looks like? This week might be easier than I thought." I heard a very un-Neal like and indignant muttering coming from the hall.

"And you spend your time stalking me? How in the world did you get my clothes?"

"I had June send some over. You're not allowed to go back to your room at June's."

"Why?"

"Because if you do, then you'll bring something of Kate's with you and make this week that much harder." I looked at the clock. Hm, nearly seven o'clock. Time to lay down the rules.

"Alright, here are the rules: 1 you are not to call anyone, 2 you aren't allowed to go anywhere without me and last but most important," I took a deep breath. "Don't leave the toilet seat up." He gave me an owlish look at the words and I tried not to laugh. "We're going grocery shopping in about three minutes so do what you need to do before we leave."

It was two minutes later that we left the house and three minutes to walk to the store. The store looked small from the outside but was as big as a warehouse on the inside. It was a little like a farmer's market and the aroma of spices, meat, and fresh vegetables filled my nose. The shopping went fast enough; I only needed a few more things since I was now feeding two people instead of one. Neal gave pieces of information about almost everything I bought and caused me to put some things back slightly queasy. And finally we reached the checkout line. The lady who checked us out was a small older lady with a warm smile on her face and she only flipped off the jackass in front of us behind his back after he yelled at her over spilled milk, literally.

"Hi, hon', how are you?" I gave her a smile and I could feel Neal's smile without seeing it.

"That's quite a looker you got there." I looked at her confused.

"What?"

"Your man, sweetheart, he's quite a catch." She said in a low voice that I knew Neal could hear. "Does he have a grandfather?" My face went red.

"I'm only teasing, but I must say all jokes aside you two make the cutest couple I have ever seen." I blushed.

"Oh, we're not-"

"That's very nice to say, ma'am." I jumped as Neal slid an arm around my waist. "I'm very lucky to have her." All I could do was smile weakly as Neal, ever the gentleman, carried the groceries in one hand with the other firmly wrapped around mine as we walked out of the store.

"What the hell was that?" I asked once we were safely in my apartment. Neal was in my living room picking apart my movie collection and I was in the kitchen cooking dinner. I had smacked Neal when I told him that I would be cooking and he replied by asking if 911 was on speed dial.

"What was what?" I heard him call out from the living room. "You own Casablanca?"

"It's a classic and you know what I'm talking about Caffrey." I call out, pulling the pizza out of the oven. Homemade pizza, yum!

"I was just playing the part."

"What part?" I snap, viciously cutting the pizza into slices.

"The part of the doting boyfriend." He said poking his head into the kitchen. "Is that dinner?" His eyes raked over the pizza with a praiseful look.

"Yes, it was my mom's recipe and she taught me to make it when I was 12. It was sort of a rite of passage to learn and then cook the pizza for the whole family." Neal smiled and grabbed two napkins and the plate of pizza.

"Can you get the drinks?"

"Sure, what movie are we watching?"

"Princess Bride." (I love this movie!)

"Good choice." Let's see, what would Neal like better Coke or Fresca? Then I saw it. Hidden in the far back was a bottle. It had been given to me by a friend in college who now owned one of the most prestigious vineyards and wineries; I got free wine from him every so often since I used to protect him from the jock back in school. I pulled the bottle out of the back of my pantry and blew off the dust.

I remember when I helped him make this, we had been talking about his artist's block and I told him about what I thought would taste good in a wine, and the next week he came to me with a bottle and made the wine. It turned out well according to some wine tasters. I had never tried it. I'm more of a whiskey girl, but it turned into a huge success, so big that the wine was still being made and sold for $1,000 a pop, and he named it La Cruz. How incredibly tacky and somewhat sweet of him. Grabbing two wine glasses, I headed into the living room and sat on my spot on the couch. Snatching a slice of pizza, I dug in as the movie started.

We ate and laughed, I had a pretty good time. Finally I reached for the bottle and pulled out the cork, letting it breathe before pouring us each a glass.

"So what are we drinking?" I handed him the bottle and he sniffed it, raised his eyebrows in surprise, and looked at the label.

"How in the world did you get this?" He breathed staring at the bottle in amazement before turning the same look on me.

"You're not the only one with connections, Caffrey." I said slyly lifting my glass and taking a sip. He stared at me with a look I had seen before, it was the 'I will bug you till you tell me' look one normally sees on toddlers. And since I was not in the mood to hear whining all night I only made him beg for a few moments before telling him the very boring story. The very boring story of how one night I had gotten drunk on cheap wine, had gotten onto the subject of good wine, told my friend the idea, how we made the wine when we were sober, how we had made several mistakes and how I had nearly killed him when I dropped one of the bottles on his head. By the end Neal and I were laughing so hard my sides hurt. Finally we stopped laughing and settled down to watch the 12 o'clock news.

"So what did you tell him?"

"Hm?"

"You told me that it was your idea for the wine." I nodded. "So what's in this wine?"

"Are you planning to steal the recipe, Mr. Caffrey?"

He smiled. "Ah, you've discovered my evil plan!"

I laughed.

"You realize that now I'm going to have to kill you?" He said his face serious and then his smirk tugged the corners of his mouth.

"Caffrey, I could kick your ass any day of the week." He chuckled.

"Yeah, you probably could."

"Guess."

"What?"

"Guess what I was thinking about." I dared him and being Neal Caffrey, he wouldn't back down from a challenge. Reaching for his glass he took a sip.

"Cranberries, white pound cake, almost a pine-y taste and…roses?" I smiled.

"Close, now what would all those things mixed together would remind me of?"

"Well if the pine-y flavor is a Christmas tree then I would have to say Christmas Eve?" I nodded.

"But the roses?"

"My mom would dry them out for the winter and you couldn't go anywhere in the house without smelling them." He smiled and suddenly everything went quiet.

Then an explosion on the TV made us jump.

"Well we should get ready for bed." I stand and head off to my room as he does his. But as I reach the door I stop. "Neal?"

"Yes?" He turns sticking his head out of his room.

"Sweet dreams." I don't miss his smile as I close the door and slip into bed. I lay there for a few minutes trying to sleep and then a noise reached my ears that both calmed me and nearly made me die from laughing. Neal Caffrey snores.

I was in the kitchen cooking up a storm when I heard a whump and a moan of pain. I smiled, sounds like Neal's up. He came into the kitchen, swaying a little not having gotten proper footing since waking up, and slumped in to a chair at the table.

"Good morning." His voice was laced with sleep and he had a small half asleep look on his face.

"Good morning, would you like some breakfast?" I poured him a cup of coffee.

"I usually just have a piece of toast on my way out the door." He said taking sip of coffee.

"Well you're going to eat breakfast every morning while you're here." I jumped at the gagging noise behind me.

"You okay?" He was coughing into a napkin and staring in trepidation at his coffee mug.

"T-the co-coffee…"

"Oh I'm sorry! I put chicory in my coffee to give it more bite. I can make you plain coffee if you like?" (Warning: Adding chicory to coffee makes it very bitter.)

"No," He chokes out when he's done coughing up a lung. "I just wasn't expecting it." He lifts the mug to his lips and takes another sip. "It's good."

I grab the sugar off the counter, pour some into my cup and place it next to Neal, going back to making our plates, I pretend not to hear the lid of the sugar removed and replaced.

Filling up our plates with pancakes, eggs and bacon, I set Neal's plate in front of him with a flourish. He stared at it as I sat down and dug in. I had finished my eggs by the time I realized he hadn't taken one bite of the food on his plate.

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" I began to worry.

"It's just what?"

"Well I've never had someone make me breakfast before." I stare at him like he's grown another head. "Thank you." The smile on his face is a real one not one of the smirks I had seen so many times. I go back to eating trying to hide the smile on my own face.

"You're welcome."

When we got to work that morning I got the evil eye from Peter and another we- will-talk-about-this-later looks. But instead of letting it be on Peter's terms again, I grab his arm, drag him into the conference room, and turn on the AC so no one can eavesdrop.

"What the hell is going on between you and Caffrey?" He asks, his eyes boring into mine.

"I'm doing you a favor. You want Caffrey to straighten out?" He nods. "Well I'm doing just that."

"And just how are you doing this?"

"The only tie that is pulling Neal back into the criminal life would be?"

"Kate," Peter breaths, "But how are you-?"

"I'm playing rebound." I can't look at him as I say it knowing what is going to come out of his mouth next.

"Are you crazy?" Okay maybe I don't. "This is a bad idea!" Yep, there it is, Peter's catch phrase.

"I know what I'm doing!" I really don't, but he doesn't need to know that.

"I don't want you falling for Caffrey!"

"I'm not going to!"

"He won't forget Kate and if you think you're the first to try, you're wrong." I can see it in his eyes that he himself had tried to fix Neal.

"I know but I'm the first one who's not going to fail." The conversation is over and I walk away. But in the back of my mind a small voice wonders if this will end even remotely well.

The week carries on. Every morning I get up, cook breakfast and Neal joins me exactly ten minutes after I get up. He learned the hard way the second morning he was here that one does not sleep in at my house, but it was fun to break out the old ice water bucket. He never saw it coming. Then we drive to work, I drive since he doesn't have his license back yet, and he knows I will emasculate him if he touches my radio, but sometimes I let him listen to his classical music. Which I will admit isn't all bad. Then it's to the office for another exciting day of working for the FBI and catching criminals, or seeing who can fly a paper airplane into Peter's coffee mug, the heater or at each other which is what we have been doing for the past three days. Then it is home cooked food, courtesy of me, and a movie. After that we would pour a glass of wine and play a game of cards or chess if we were awake enough and then back to bed. Every time I say good night to him I feel like I'm forgetting something, something important and it keeps me up, well until Neal starts his puppy snores, I mean it, he sounds like a puppy when he snores. It's kind of cute in away. Then after a few minutes of listening to him, and basking in the fact that someone else is close by, I'm out like a light. But then the problem started.

It was day five, only two days left and Neal hasn't mentioned Kate once. My plan was almost complete, but I knew that as our time grew short now was the time Neal would think about what happened during the week. And I needed him to not think about Kate. So yesterday I asked Peter to get us a case and he grudgingly agreed that by tomorrow we would have a case. But what he brought me was not what I was expecting in the least. Unfortunately that wasn't the problem I was referring to before.

I sat at my desk once again on my quest to rid my desk of its finish, when Peter and Neal walked out of his office. Neal winked at me, and unlike the other girls who would die from head rush from blushing too hard, I merely winked back and tried to pretend there wasn't a happy flutter in my chest. Neal walked over and leaned on my desk.

"What's the case?" I whisper.

"He wouldn't tell me anything." He muttered back, and I pretended that his hand didn't touch mine as he readjusted himself on my desk.

"We got a case!" Peter announced. "We got ourselves a panty thief!" I gaped at him. A what? When I asked for a case I didn't mean for him to go to the archives and pull from the loony bin!

"Could you run that by me again, I think I misheard you."

"We have a panty thief."

"Okay, now I know I'm hearing you wrong because I could have sworn you just said that we were going after a panty thief." Neal stared at Peter much the same way I was like he had lost his mind.

"Well he stole the governor's under…garments."

"We're going to investigate a panty thief because some politician lost their favorite fruit of the loom?" I was mad. I didn't work hard to get into the FBI to be on stupid cases like this.

"No, we're investigating because the under… garment had two thousand dollars' worth of gold and diamonds sown onto it." He handed me a picture of the, ahem, garment.

"Yeah, because that's going to make a thong that much more comfortable." I muttered. "Any leads?"

"No one saw who took it but we're pretty sure it was an inside job." I rolled my eyes.

"No kidding." I muttered and Neal snickered as Peter gave us a withering look.

"Look over the case files! Now!" Peter snarled as he walked out. "I want at least one working theory before I get back from my coffee break." I rolled my eyes as did Neal.

"We're FBI agents not miracle workers." I call at his retreating back, he either didn't hear me or just ignored me.

"I hate it when he does that to me." I said sparing Neal a glance.

"To us, Lauren, to us." Neal sighed and turning to the file we began to look for any clues.

"You have a lead yet?"

""NO!"" Neal and I yelled at Peter as he set foot in the office.

We went to the governor's house and like the FBI search team, found nothing. Well, actually I found out that the governor couldn't look Neal or anyone else in the eye because she was too busy stripping Neal with her eyes and not once when I was questioning her did she take her eyes off Neal's ass. Then she had the gall to say and I quote 'Are you two together? Oh, silly me, of course you aren't, why would that go for someone like you? Well even if you were I always get what I want.' I had to refrain from just slapping the bitch, but I did flip her off behind her back and then got a weird look from Neal when he noticed.

But finally I was able to take Neal back to the office and away from that woman. I also pretended not to feel the pang of jealousy when she stared at him like that, she had no right… and had to remind myself that neither did I.

It was midnight and still no leads.

"We have scoured, searched and stared at this file and there is nothing! Nothing!" I patted Neal on the back as for the eighth time in the last hour he pulled on his hair, liberating a few hairs.

"Go home. Tomorrow we'll go back to the governor's house and double check for clues." Peter said rubbing his eyes. My stomach churned at the thought of having to talk to that woman again.

"Come on, let's go home." Neal said placing a hand on my shoulder and steering me towards the door. I looked at him and wondered if he noticed his slip up.

We had a small meal and went to bed. Flopping down on my pillows I tried to sleep, but Neal wouldn't go to sleep. I know this because of his puppy snoring, no snoring means Neal's awake and in turn it also means I'm awake. Damn him. But I get even with him the next morning by blasting wildly inappropriate music ten minutes before he's supposed to get up. He he he.

I'm back at the governor's and ready to shoot myself. I have to stand here and listen to this woman babble on about how she loves a bad boy, gushes about how smart Neal is, pretty much calls me a bitch to my face and will not stop staring at Neal. And Neal of course will not stop flirting right back. I glared at the back of her head willing her to burst into flames, burn to a crisp, reduce to cinders and blow away in the wind. Sadly she remained in her non-crispy state. I turned and notice something I had missed before.

"Do you have a dog?" The woman glared at me clearly miffed at having been disturbed from her gawking.

"Yes, I have a dog." She used the 'duh' voice and I was tempted to use my gun.

"Where is it?" She glared at me.

"'He' is in his room."

"Well, may I see 'him'."

"His room is through there." She said pointing to a small door in the wall. It wasn't much bigger than a usual sized doggy door. I sighed.

"Is this?"

"Yes." Again I sighed, getting on my hands and knees I began to crawl through the very small opening, into a tunnel that smelled like wet dog. I crawled out the other end into a large room. It was bigger than my apartment! And there sitting in the dog house was a rat. On second glance I realized that it wasn't a rat, but a hairless dog. Several more rat dogs were sitting around the room, all of them staring at me. Then a door to my left opened and in walked Neal, Peter, that woman and the investigation team.

"Why didn't you just use the door?" I glared daggers and other pointy lethal objects at her. Peter, seeing that the metaphorical weapons might soon become real, cut in before I could beat her with a chew toy.

"Agent Cruz was making sure that the garment hadn't been hidden in here for the thief to pick up later."

"Right." She looked down at me, her beady little eyes asking to be gouged out. I turned back to the dog house and began in its general direction, without getting up mind you so I felt more than one pair of eyes on my ass.

"What is she doing?"

"I… have no idea." Peter muttered to that woman as I reached the dog house. The dogs on the porch growled at me. I wasn't in the mood. I snarled right back and, tails between their legs, they ran. Crawling inside I vowed that next time I would make Neal do this.

A few minutes and struggles later I wormed my way out of the tiny dog house, I had to crawl backwards since I had no room to turn around. Standing up I brushed myself off and turned to find half of the group hurriedly looking elsewhere. I walked over to that woman and handed her the object I had liberated from the dog house.

"They're a little chewed on but should be fine." She held out a very shiny, very slobbery, ahem, garment. I hadn't thought that it was possible for that garment with any less fabric in it but those dogs proved me wrong.

"Let's go home." I head for the door.

"Wait! There are diamonds missing!" That woman shrieked and nearly broke my ear drum.

"Ma'am, some of the jewels may have fallen out when your dogs chewed on it." Peter ever the gentleman offered.

"I think she stole some!" I turned to see her finger pointed at moi. That. Was. It.

"So even with an ex-convict in the room you accuse me of stealing?" I snarled and she shrank back. "I work my ass of for crappy pay to insure that stuck up bitches like you can live happily in the illusion that nothing is wrong in this world. I have stood here and listened to your degrading remarks, and I'm sick of it!" At this point that woman had deflated so much I thought she might disappear. I stormed to the door and paused.

"You'll find your missing diamonds in one of those." I said jabbing my thumb at a pile of dog crap and I left.

The ride back was quite but the tension spoke for itself. I was relieved when we got back to the office and I could do mind numbing paper work.

I had been doing paper work for the last four hours and now it was time to go home. I had stayed late to finish having sent Neal home with Peter. The drive home was long and tedious but finally I was pulling into my apartment complex and headed inside. Sliding my key into the door I opened it.

"Neal if you want dinner you're going to have to order…in. Caffrey what are you doing?" There on the table was a candle lit dinner. Standing next to the table stood Neal a huge grin on his face, holding out a chair for me. I slid into the seat, he pushed me in and then took the seat opposite me.

"I thought you might like a home cooked meal that you didn't have to cook." I looked at what was on my plate; it was spaghetti and meat balls, salad, and garlic bread.

"You cooked this?" I was stunned. Last time Neal had tried to cook he nearly set the house on fire, and he was only making toast.

"Yes." He tried to sound offended but I saw right through him.

"Mozzie helped?"

"Yeah."

I chuckled and tucked in. The dinner went well with conversations about work, Peter, and anything else we could think of. He stood to refill my wine glass and his hand brushed mine. I froze and looked up at him. His blue eyes stared into mine, why were they getting bigger? Then I realized that they were getting closer, he was getting closer. I wanted to lean back but found myself leaning forward till I could smell his cologne.

"Neal?"

"Lauren…" I raised a hand and brushed a strand of hair out his eyes. His mouth was less than a breath away and his lips brushed mine as again he spoke my name. Then he kissed me or I kissed him, I wasn't too sure and at the moment I didn't care. I was kissing Neal Caffrey con-man extraordinaire and I never wanted to stop. His hands gripped my face gently as the kiss deepened, my hands resting on his shoulders.

Then every reason I should not be doing this flooded my mind. I'm supposed to be helping him get over Kate, not kissing him. Then of course I remembered the one rule you have to remember to be a rebound: Never fall for the one you're helping, they're just getting over hurting and will look for the only one who cares. You. Which in turn can cause them to believe that they have feelings for you.

I pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry." I stood and walked to my room, I didn't look back, because if I did he would see the tears rolling down my cheeks and falling to the ground. I shut the door just as my legs gave out and I slid to the floor. My heart burned in my chest, as if it were on fire and the tears made small plops as they hit the floor.

I don't know how long I sat there tears stains on my cheeks, it felt like ages but couldn't have been more than an hour at most at least my crying had stopped. I heard the sound in the kitchen. Neal must be cleaning up. I listened till the noises stopped and only the sound of footsteps remained. They were getting closer and closer, I held my breath, and they hesitated before slowly walking past. Then came some shuffling noises and then the footsteps grew again and like the last time walked right by only this time it didn't slow. I flinched at the slam of the front door and the lone tear that fell from my eye. I should have listened to Peter and as usual he turned out to be right in his warning. I, Lauren Cruz agent of the FBI White Collar division, had fallen for Neal Caffrey.

I must have gone to bed at some point because I woke up in bed. I lay there and tried not to think about Neal or the pain in my chest. I didn't move and slowly sleep and pain overtook me and I fell into blessed darkness.

I awoke to rapping on my door. I looked at the clock and briefly wondered how I had slept less than a minute. Then I looked at the calendar part and realized I hadn't slept less than a minute, I had slept through today-yesterday- whatever! I had slept through both the day and work. Shit.

I walk into the kitchen and begin to make breakfast ignoring the beating on the door. Setting two place settings, I walked to Neal's room and just stand in the doorway. I could almost see him lying there on the bed, like everything else he does Neal sleeps gracefully curled up on the bed like a cat. But the blankets on the bed are neat and untouched.

"Time to get up, Neal." My heart breaks knowing that he will never hear me. I return to the kitchen table but I don't eat. I hit the button on the answering machine and slightly mechanical voices fill the room but they don't drive away the silence. I don't listen as I sip my coffee, the banging on the door increases but I ignore them. The voices belong to Peter now; he's asking where I am and what's going on. Now I know who's at the door. But I don't answer it, not as the machine clicks and the voices stop, not as the knocking slows, not when the door grows quiet and feet carry Peter far away. And now the silence is louder than the beat of my heart and I wonder if it's still beating.

*BANG*

*RWAR*

*"AAAAAAH!"*

*HISSSSSSSSS*

*"DAMN CAT!"*

*CRASH*

Let it never be said that Peter Burke is a quitter. I watch as the still cussing FBI agent climbs in my third story window.

"Lauren, I need to talk to you." He's wheezing as he slumps into a kitchen chair. I just stare at him. "What happened between you and Caffrey?" I don't answer at first.

"You were right." His eyebrows furrow and a worried look comes over his face.

"I was? I mean- I was….What was I right about?"

"I tried to fix Caffrey."

"I told you it wouldn't work."

"No it did work."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I fell for him, just like you warned me I would." I try not to cry, it's bad enough that I'm in front of my boss in my PJ's without have taken a shower or brushing my hair but I draw the line at crying like a sissy girl in front of him. I apparently suck at drawing lines since the next second I'm bawling my eyes out on his shoulder.

"Well- uh- have you told him?" He says patting me on the back; clearly more than a little freaked that one of his agents was using him for a human hanky.

"N-no."

"Well how do you know he doesn't like you back?"

"Because he kissed me!"

"Okay, he kissed you and that means he doesn't like you?"

"Yes! He just thinks he likes me. It happens on rebounds you get close and then they think that you like them and that they like you back." I pulled away as he sat there trying to make sense out of what I just said.

"He kissed you because he thinks he's in love with you, when he really isn't and you're in love with him?"

I nod.

"And did you ask him if he's in love with you?"

"No, because he thinks he is."

Peter nodded.

"Lauren, this is a man who broke out of maximum security because he loved Kate. I think the man can tell when he's in love." I looked at him.

"Peter, it's really nice of you to come over here and try to make me feel better but I really just want to be alone." He sighs, stands and walks towards the door.

"At least think about what I said." Then he's gone.

I sit there staring at my cold coffee.

*Ding dong*

Now what?

"Delivery!" I really didn't want to move but I didn't need to make someone else's life miserable just because mine sucks. Stalking to the door I open it, snatch the clipboard from his hand, sign, thrust it into his chest, grab the package and slam the door. I said I wouldn't ruin his day by making him wait, not that I would be pleasant.

I stared at the package. I don't remember ordering anything. Ripping open the box, I began to cry as I saw what lay inside. It was a fedora with a silk silver band that shone blue in the light. I lifted it out and examined it. I had ordered it and must have forgotten. Neal had been complaining about his fedora getting worn out. I had teased him that if he didn't play with it so much that it might not be so worn out. We bantered back and forth for a while till Neal fell asleep on the couch. I don't know why I did it but I did and now I was sitting on my couch the proof of how hard I'd fallen lying in my hands. Sliding my hands along the band, I had picked it because it matched his eyes and good lord do I sound like a sissy girl.

Could I? I slowly raised the hat and gently placed it on my head. I didn't look in the mirror; I just sat there with the last piece of Neal in my house on my head.

I woke up to knocking on the door. I stretch, working out the kinks. I don't even remember falling asleep. I glanced to the door. To answer or not to answer, that is the question.

The knocking is slightly different than before, more rhythmic almost like a melody; Peter must be in a good mood. Too bad I'm not.

"Go away, Peter!" I call out standing up and stretching some more.

"It's not Peter." Shit, I knew that voice after all I had been living with its owner for almost a week.

"Lauren, I just want to talk."

"She's not here." I said like a two year old trying to hide from her parents.

"Did you actually think that would work?" He sounds both amused and concerned for my sanity.

"…What do you want Caffrey?"

"I'd like you to open the door, and Lauren, we lived together for a week. I thought we would be on a first name basis by now."

"Less than a week, you ditched, remember?" And why the hell am I bringing that up?

"That is what I would like to talk to you about."

"Well, I don't so you can be on your way now."

"Lauren, open the door."

"No."

"Lauren I can and will pick the lock."

"That's breaking and entering, Caffrey."

I hear the familiar clicking noise and groan, walking over to the door. Throwing it open, I glare at Neal as he stands up from his lock-picking crouch.

"Now was that so hard?" I almost slammed the door in his face. Almost.

"What do you want Caffrey?"

"As I said I just want to talk. May I come in?" I nod and step aside to let him past. He walked in and sat down on the couch.

"What's this?" I looked at the object in his hands, the same object that had been on my head when I fell asleep.

"Nothing." I snatch it out of his hands and hide it behind me as I sat on the couch.

"Really? Because it looks like a new fedora." He leans forward and reaches behind me for the hat. I lean away.

"No!"

*WHUMP*

"Ow!" I fell backwards and smacked my head on the armrest. "Neal!"

"What?" He smirked down at me as he moved to lean over me wrapping an arm around my waist the other propping him up. I blush at how close he is.

"Get off." He opens his mouth to make what I'm sure would have been a very inappropriate comment but I cut him off. "Of me, Neal, get off of me." He pretended to think.

"No."

"Neal…" My voice is low and warning as I push at him. He easily catches my hands and pulls me up till in back upright and sitting in his lap.

"Lauren, I am one of the best criminals in the US. I can tell when I'm in love or not."

"How?" Then it hits me.

"I'm going to kill Peter." I growl. He's a dead man. I should have known he'd go and tell Neal. Damn him.

"No, you're not."

"You're right, I won't, but I will make his life miserable." I snarled trying to push him off again and once again he went nowhere.

"Lauren, I loved Kate."

"I know."

"I broke out of jail for her."

"I know."

"I would have done almost anything for her and I still would break out of jail again for her. But I won't kill for her. I cared for her and I thought that I would never care for anyone as much ever again, and I haven't. But then I met you and you were different. And then you go and come up with this plan to get me over Kate." I growl at him and try to get up.

"I love you, Lauren. I loved Kate enough to break out of prison. But I love you more than her and that scares me, I would break out of jail for her but I would kill for you. And only you."

"I would never ask you to." I sigh, resting my forehead against his.

"I know." He smiles.

"And so the criminal falls in love with the cop."

"Correction: the newly reformed ex-convict turned brilliant FBI consultant falls madly in love with an FBI agent who helps losers get over their exes in her spare time." I roll my eyes and smack him on the arm.

"Got it."

"Got what?" Then I remember why I was sitting where I was as his hand comes up holding the fedora.

"You play dirty, Mr. Caffrey."

"Always, Mrs. Caffrey."

"You think you're so-wait, what!" He stood up and knelt down on one knee.

"Lauren, I learned with Kate that every moment is precious and I don't want to lose you again. So" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black velvet box. "Lauren Samantha Cruz, will you marry me?" He opens it and nestled inside is a white gold band in the shape of a rose and in the center is a diamond.

*Whump*

Okay note to self, don't pass out when Neal Caffrey asks you to marry him, because you will hit your head on the coffee table and wake up with a really bad bruise.

"Ow."

"You okay?" I open my eyes to the sight I missed the most after he left, his big blue eyes staring back into mine.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Do you need to go to the hospital?" His eyes are worried and I smile at his antics.

"Yes, Neal." He panics.

"Okay, there is a hospital three blocks away. Will you be okay to get to the car or do I need to call the paramedics?"

"No, Neal. Yes." He stares.

"You must have hit your head harder than I thought." He grabs the phone and begins to hit buttons.

"Neal," I take his face in my hands and make him face me. "I don't need to go to the hospital."

"But you said-" I rolled my eyes.

"Let me rephrase. Yes, Neal Bryce Caffrey, I will marry you." He stares at me and I hear the phone click.

"_Hello what is your emergency?"_ A voice asks.

"Sorry, wrong number." Neal breathes never looking away from me. He drops the phone, I hold out my hand and he slides on the ring. He smiles at me.

"I love you, Lauren."

"I love you too, Neal." I laugh a little as I hear the emergency cuss at us through the phone accusing us of being prank callers. He wraps and arm around me and leans till again he's less than a breath away.

"By the way, Lauren?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the ball." And he kisses me. I could get used to this. And to think I have Kate, Peter and a little rubber band ball to thank for it. Peter's going to have an aneurism when he finds out.


End file.
